Hercules Wimbledon Athletic Club’s youngsters came away with a hat-trick of team medals from the Bruce Judd Surrey Young Athletes cross country relays at Stoke Park, Guildford, on Saturday, writes Tom Pollak

The medal-winning performances were achieved by all three girls teams with a trio of bronze medals. Best of the boys’ teams was the Under-13 squad who finished fifth.

First leg runner Grace Eminson got the girls Under-15 team off to a great start as she headed the field home handing over four seconds clear in eight minutes 26 seconds, the fifth fastest time of the day. Twins Sophie (8:42) and Charlotte Conway (8:51) slipped to third spot but managed to hang onto the medal-winning position.

First leg runner Ava McAndie was also the fastest member of the Hercules Wimbledon girls Under-13 team clocking 8:41 in handing over in second place. She clocked the third best time for her age group. Mae Losson (9:22) held second but Iona Alexander (9:11) slipped to third place on the anchor leg.

Eloise Davies with 8:35 on the opening leg handing over in fourth place was the fastest member of the women’s Under-17 trio which was third on all three legs. Her time was fourth best of the day. Millie Doyle (8:40) and Millie Thorpe (844) held bronze medal spot.

First leg runner George Mackin (fourth in 8:32) was the fastest member of the Hercules Wimbledon Under-13 boys team which finished fifth. George Mackin (fourth in 9:12) and Oliver Mealor (fifth in 8:03) completed the trio.

Will Taylor, running the opening leg in 7:19 to hand over in third place was also the fastest member of the Under-17 team which finished sixth. Isaac Lulaya (seventh in 8:38) and Adam Hammadi (sixth in 7:51) ran the other two legs.

First leg runner Benjy Street was the fastest of the boys Under-15 trio in clocking 7:32 handing over in third place. Tom Davies (8:34) slipped to seventh while Noah Fernandez (9:04) dropped a further two places.

Lisa Thomas and Ross Murray were the highest placed of 30 Hercules Wimbledon runners who took part in 13 different parkruns last Saturday. They were second in their races on Wimbledon Common and in the Rising Sun Country Park in Newcastle upon Tyne. Adam May and Hector Revill were third in Littlehampton and St Andrew’s, Scotland.

Hercules Wimbledon decided not to defend the South of England cross country relay title they won in 2019 at Wormwood Scrubs last Saturday. After a hectic few weeks in which their senior men were the top Surrey and South London club in the England road relay championships in Sutton Park, Birmingham, and gained an impressive team win in the opening Surrey Cross Country League meeting, it was agreed to give the runners a break.

This was also to help the team prepare for the English cross country relay championship at Berry Hill Park, Mansfield, on Saturday, November 6.